WellesleyWeston Magazine

SUMMER 2014

Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.

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The museum is also the story of Isaac Jones
and his family. Isaac was born in Weston in
1728, grandson of Josiah Jones, one of
Weston's founding fathers. Between 1764 and
1769 Isaac built his home and tavern on the
Boston Post Road, with acreage sufficient to
farm and support his family. Taverns func-
tioned as community centers, and innkeepers,
usually prominent citizens, were licensed by
local authorities. Isaac was a successful mer-
chant shipper and respected politician, and he
was also a Tory sympathizer.
The British Tea Act of 1773, which limited
the distribution of tea, had negative conse-
quences on the colonial economy. Colonists
reacted by banning the consumption and sale
of the beverage. Isaac remained neutral for a
while. One story survives that when British
spies stopped at the tavern and Isaac offered
them tea, they took that as a sign that they
were with a sympathetic host. In an incident
known as the Weston Tea Party in March
1774, local Patriots stormed Isaac's home one
evening, when Isaac was away. His family and
property survived but his conversion to the
Patriot cause then followed.
Two ships bonds found inside a framed
portrait of his child William Pitt Jones give
a clue to Isaac's change of heart. Historians
believe that reviewing the terms of these
bonds likely convinced Isaac that the
British course of action was unfair, eco-
nomically punitive, and a reason to back
the Patriot cause.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Golden Ball Tavern. They have preserved and catalogued
archives and researched how to reproduce wallpaper for the restoration of Lettie Jones's room to
its 1880s or 1890s appearance. Genealogist Will McFarland researched Isaac Jones and demon-
strated his connections to other important families of the time. This family tree is on view in the
Visitors Center along with artifacts from archeological digs by Boston University and Brown
University scholars. "It's a great place for anyone interested in engaging work," agree long-time
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( C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 7 8 )
072-085_WWMb14_golden ball tavern_v2_WellesleyWeston Magazine 4/24/14 3:10 PM Page 83